The rapidly growing market for portable electronic devices, e.g. cellular phones, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), is an integral facet of modern life. Powering and connecting the multitude of portable devices represents one of the largest potential market opportunities for next generation retractable communication and power centers. Retractable communication and power centers have unique attributes that have significant impacts on manufacturing, in that they must be structurally robust, and rich in functionality.
Retractable communication and power centers must also be produced in high volumes at relatively low cost. Manufacturing and designing retractable communication and power centers is at the very core of next generation communication and power center insertion strategies outlined in road maps for development of next generation products.
There have been many approaches to addressing the advanced design and manufacturing requirements of retractable communication and power centers with successive generations of retractable communication and power centers. The limitations and issues with current communication and power centers include increasing longevity, durability, latching strength, and manufacturing costs.
One common problem with prior approaches to the retractable communication and power centers was deterioration and mechanical failure of the latch. When mechanical failure of the latch occurred, the retractable communication and power centers remains in an open position which defeats many of the main benefits of a retractable communication and power center.
These previous approaches also resulted in weaker latching capability which leads to poor reliability and performance. Manufactures were forced into a tradeoff between a mechanical failure to latch or to open all the way during the life of the final product.
When the manufactures chose to use weaker springs, the ability of the communication and power centers to open fully would commonly fail resulting in communication and power centers opening only halfway during the life of the final product. Alternatively, when the manufactures chose to use a stronger spring the latch would often fail and the communication and power centers could not be locked in the closed position.
In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Thus, a need remains for a data and power system with improved longevity, durability, latching strength, and manufacturing costs. Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.